Illuminated fishing bob



April 21, 1942.

H. M. SUTCLIFFE ILLUMINATED FISHING BOB Filed Oct. 8, 1940 111M AZzZcZiffe IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

, of Figure 1.

Patented Apr. 21 1942 UlED STATS PATENT OFFICE 2,280,457 ILLUMINATED risnmo 3018 Harry M. Sutclifie, National City, Calif. Application October 8, 1940, Serial No. 360,325 3 Claims. (or 43-17) This invention relates to fishing bobs, the primary object of the invention being to provide a fishing bob having illuminating means controlled by a pull directed to thefishing line connected therewith, by the action of fish caught-on the hook, thereby rendering the bob visible in the dark.

An important object of the invention is to provide a bob of this character wherein the electric lamp and lighting means forming a part thereof, will be contained in a casing in the form of a float, the float being balanced so that the electric circuit to the lamp will be normally broken, means being providedforautomatically completing the circuit to the lamp, illuminating the lamp, when one end of the float is pulled downwardly, by the action of the fish caught on the hook used with the float.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable means whereby the float will be actuated under various degrees of pulling force, thereby providing a' bob which may be used when fishing for large or small fish.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of con struction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an illuminated bob, constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmental elevational view illustrating the contact bar providing the circuit between the switch and lamp, as connected with the lamp-supporting disk, of the bob.

Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view through the contact members II and M.

.cated at I5 connects with the contact member by the closure may be readily removed, permitting access to the interior of the body portion.

The switch member which is of the mercury type, is indicated by 'the reference character 9 and comprises a body portion which is substantially cone-shaped and hollow, providing a com-v partment with inclined walls, for the mercury, which is indicated at iii. A contact member H extends into the body portion of the switch 9, and is provided with a contact head 52 adapted to engage one end of the battery l3. Another contact member l4 extends into the mercury switch, and is so disposed with respect to the contact'member II, that when the body portion 5 is tilted in one direction, the mercury it will roll to a position to complete a circuit between A disk indi- IG, and provides a contact surface against which one end of the contact bar It engages, the opposite end of the contact bar extending upwardly to a point beyond the open end of the body portion, where it is formed with an offset portion that is fitted over one edge of the insulated disk l8 providing a contact member I'l. Associated with the contact member H, is a contactmemher I!) that extends over the disk l8 and passes through a central opening, formed in the disk, the contact member l9 being constructed to conform to the shape of the threads formed on the lamp socket 2|, fitted in'the central opening of the disk [8, to complete a circuit therethrough, when an electric lamp is positioned therein. Connected to the outer end of the contact member I9, is a contact arm 20 which is curved as shown by Figure 4, to bridge the contact member I! under normal conditions. The contact member i 9 provides a circuit with the contact bar It supplying electric energy to the lamp 22 fitted in the lamp socket 2!. The inner end of the lamp 22 is shown as resting against the contact point 23 of the battery l3.

Formed integral with the closure or cap 7, is a rib 23 that extends inwardly from the inner surface thereof, the ends of the rib 23 being spaced apart.

the body portion 5, the surface of the body por- 55 ribs are beveled, as, shown by Figure 4. so that The lower surfaces of the'ends of the when the cap or closure I is rotated, the rib .will ride over the contact member 20, forcing the contact member 20 downwardly moving the member 20 into engagement with contact memberl| completing a circuit.

When the bob is to be placed in use for fishing, the cap or. closure 1 is rotated to complete the circuit as described, so that when the body portion is tilted in fishing, the circuit to the lamp 22 will be completed. When the bob is not in use, the cap or closure is moved to the position as. shown by Figure 4, to maintain the circuit broken if the mercury moves to engage the contacts H and it, while the bob is being carried. The reference character 24 indicates a split ring which is positioned around the body portion, and is supplied with a screw 25 that extends through openings in the ends of the split ring, securing the split ring in position on the body portion.

Thus it will be seen that the split ring may be readily and easily adjusted longitudinally of the body portion 5. Secured to the split ring 24, and held in position by means of the screw 25, is an eye member 26 which is made up of a length of coiled wire, the eye being connected to the body portion 5 by securing the end thereof to thebody portion, at a point opposite to the lamp end of the body portion. The fishing line is passed between the loops of the eye where it is held by frictional contact therewith, to the end that the line 21 may be adjusted to vary the distance between the body portion and hook secured to the line 21. Thus it will be seen that due to the manner of connecting the fish line to the bob,

when a pull is directed to the line 21 at a point beyond the split ring 24, or the point where the fish'hook is connected tothe fish line, the closed of the mercury switch, may be increased so that comparatively small fish may operate the bob to light the lamp.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminating fishing bob comprising a tubular body portion, an electric lamp mounted in one end of the body portion, a battery within the body portion and in circuit with the lamp, a mercury switch within the body portion and embodying a casing in the form of a hollow coneshaped member, contacts in the contracted end of the cone-shaped member, mercury within the hollow cone-shaped member and adapted to move into engagement with the contacts completing the circuit and lighting the lamp when the body portion tilts a predetermined degree, and means for connecting a fishing line to said body portion.

2. An illuminating fishing bob comprising an elongated hollow body portion, an electric lamp in one end of the body portion, a battery in the body portion and in circuit with the lamp, a

manually controlled switch in the circuit adapted to normally break the circuit, and a circuit including a mercury switch in the body portion adapted to close the circuit to the lamp when the manually controlled switch is closed and when the body portion is tilted in a predetermined direction.

3. An illuminating fishing bob comprising an elongated hollow body portion, an electric lamp mounted in one end of the body portion, a battery in the body portion, a circuit between the lamp and battery, a manually controlled switch in the circuit, said switch embodying a stationary contact member and a movable contact member, a cap fitted over the lamp, cams carried by the cap and adapted to move into engagement with the movable contact member forcing the movable contact member into engagement with the stationary contact member, completing a circuit, a mercury switch disposed within the body portion and providing a circuitbetween the battery and lamp, and said mercury switch being adapted to operate to complete a circuit to the lamp when the first mentioned switch has been operated to close the circuit between the battery and lamp.

HARRY M. SUTCLIFFE. 

